Too Late, Alpha

The Thief

The morning after the Mate Ceremony, I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.

Not because of the rogues.

Not because of the cuts on my arm.

Because Damien had chosen Bella.

And somehow that still hurt more.

I stared at the ceiling of my small room.

Three years.

Three years wasted.

A knock sounded on the door.

Before I could answer, it swung open.

Bella walked in carrying a breakfast tray.

She looked radiant.

The silver Luna necklace around her neck sparkled in the sunlight.

Everything about her irritated me.

"Good morning, Evelyn."

I sat up slowly.

"What do you want?"

"Ouch."

She placed a hand over her heart.

"Is that how you greet your future Luna?"

I almost laughed.

"Get out."

Bella sat down anyway.

"You know, Damien was worried about you."

That got my attention.

"Worried?"

"Of course."

She smiled.

"He asked where you went after the ceremony."

The hope lasted less than a second.

Then Bella added,

"I told him you were throwing a tantrum."

There it was.

The real reason she came.

To twist the knife.

I got out of bed.

"Are we done?"

Bella stood.

For a moment her smile disappeared.

"You should learn your place."

I folded my arms.

"My place?"

"You're a nobody, Evelyn."

She stepped closer.

"No family."

"No title."

"No rank."

"No mate."

Each word landed like a slap.

Then she smiled again.

"But don't worry."

She turned toward the door.

"I'm sure you'll find someone eventually."

The door closed behind her.

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I punched the wall.

Hard.

Pain shot through my knuckles.

Good.

At least that pain made sense.

________________

By noon the entire pack was preparing for Bella's Luna Celebration.

Apparently one ceremony wasn't enough.

I was helping inventory supplies when old Beta Marcus approached.

Marcus was one of the oldest wolves in the pack.

Nobody knew exactly how old.

Only that he'd been around forever.

He glanced around before speaking.

"You look terrible."

"Thanks."

"I mean it."

"I know."

He chuckled.

Then his expression became serious.

"Something happened last night."

My stomach tightened.

Did he know about Alexander?

The stranger?

The rogues?

Instead Marcus pointed at my shoulder.

"The wound."

"What about it?"

"Let me see."

I rolled my eyes but pulled the fabric aside.

The claw marks were already healing.

Marcus frowned.

Then froze.

His gaze shifted slightly lower.

Toward the back of my shoulder.

Toward the crescent-shaped birthmark I'd had my entire life.

His eyes widened.

"Evelyn."

"What?"

"Where did you get that mark?"

I blinked.

"I was born with it."

Marcus stared.

Long enough to make me uncomfortable.

"What?"

The old Beta looked genuinely shaken.

"Nothing."

"Marcus."

"Forget I asked."

He turned and walked away.

Which immediately guaranteed I would not forget it.

Not even close.

________________

That evening the pack hall overflowed with guests.

Music echoed through the building.

Bella stood near Damien greeting everyone like she'd already been Luna for years.

I tried avoiding them.

Unfortunately, life hated me.

"Evelyn."

I closed my eyes.

Of course.

Bella.

I turned.

"What?"

She smiled.

"Dinner starts soon."

"Okay."

"I need a favor."

"No."

Her smile twitched.

"You didn't even hear it."

"Still no."

Several nearby wolves laughed.

Bella's expression hardened.

Then she switched tactics.

"Damient wants all hands helping tonight."

I looked toward him.

He wasn't even paying attention.

Shockingly.

"Fine," I said.

"What do you need?"

"Could you organize the gift table?"

I should've said no.

Instead I spent the next hour moving gifts around like an idiot.

By the time dinner started, I was exhausted.

I grabbed a drink and finally found a quiet corner.

That peace lasted exactly three minutes.

Then someone screamed.

A woman's voice.

High-pitched.

Panicked.

"My Luna Ring!"

The room instantly froze.

Bella stood in the center of the hall.

Holding out an empty jewelry box.

Tears filled her eyes.

"My Luna Ring is gone."

Whispers erupted immediately.

"Stolen?"

"Who would do that?"

"That ring is priceless."

Damien appeared beside her.

"What happened?"

Bella sniffled.

"I left it in my room while getting ready."

"And now?"

"It's gone."

The hall exploded into chaos.

Pack guards rushed toward the exits.

Damien's voice cut through the noise.

"Nobody leaves."

The room fell silent.

"We will find it."

His Alpha command rolled through the hall.

Every wolf obeyed.

Bella looked devastated.

Almost convincing.

Then her eyes briefly met mine.

Something cold settled in my stomach.

Oh no.

She wouldn't.

Would she?

A guard rushed into the hall twenty minutes later.

His face was pale.

"We found it."

The room erupted again.

Damien frowned.

"Where?"

The guard swallowed.

Then pointed directly at me.

"In Evelyn's room."

Silence.

Every eye turned.

Toward me.

My heart dropped.

"No."

The guard held up the silver ring.

Bella gasped.

Damien stared at me.

"Evelyn."

"I didn't take it."

The words came immediately.

Because they were true.

Bella looked heartbroken.

"Why would you do this?"

I laughed.

"You cannot be serious."

Tears rolled down her face.

"I tried so hard to include you."

"Oh, shut up."

Gasps filled the room.

Bella looked wounded.

I didn't care.

I pointed at her.

"You planted it."

Damien's eyes darkened.

"Enough."

I looked at him.

"You don't actually believe this."

The silence answered for him.

Something inside me cracked.

Not shattered.

Not yet.

Just cracked.

"I didn't steal anything."

Damien stepped forward.

"The ring was found in your room."

"Because someone put it there."

"Do you have proof?"

"No."

"Then neither do you."

I stared at him.

Waiting.

Waiting for the man who once carried me home after a fever.

Waiting for the man who once spent all night helping rebuild my cabin after a storm.

Waiting for the man who was supposed to know me.

Nothing came.

Not a single word in my defense.

Bella lowered her head.

"Maybe we should let it go."

I wanted to punch something.

The performance was disgusting.

Damien's jaw tightened.

"No."

My stomach sank.

"Theft against the Luna is a serious crime."

Bella immediately spoke up.

"Damien, please."

"No."

His voice echoed through the hall.

"There must be consequences."

The crowd murmured approval.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You know I didn't do this."

Damien looked at me.

For a moment I thought I saw hesitation.

Then it disappeared.

"Ten lashes."

The room went silent.

I stared at him.

Certain I'd misheard.

"What?"

"Ten lashes."

The words hit harder than the sentence itself.

Bella gasped dramatically.

"Damien!"

"Please!"

He didn't look at her.

His eyes stayed locked on mine.

Almost like he was daring me to challenge him.

"You can't be serious."

"I am."

The realization finally hit.

This wasn't about the ring.

This was about putting me in my place.

Showing everyone exactly where I stood.

Below Bella.

Below everyone.

A nobody.

Two guards grabbed my arms.

I didn't fight.

Because somehow that would've hurt more.

The first lash landed.

Fire exploded across my back.

The crowd flinched.

The second came immediately after.

Then the third.

By the fourth, I tasted blood.

By the sixth, my knees buckled.

Through all of it, I kept looking at Damien.

Not because I wanted help.

Because I wanted to know if he felt anything.

His face remained unreadable.

The tenth lash finally ended.

The guards released me.

I collapsed to one knee.

Blood soaked through my shirt.

The hall was silent.

Nobody looked comfortable anymore.

Nobody except Bella.

I saw the satisfaction in her eyes.

Just for a second.

Then she hid it.

Too late.

I had seen it.

Marcus suddenly stepped forward.

His voice shook with anger.

"This is enough."

Damien frowned.

"Beta Marcus."

The old wolf ignored him.

Instead he looked directly at me.

At the blood running down my back.

At the birthmark partially visible beneath torn fabric.

His face changed.

Again.

The same expression from earlier.

Recognition.

"Evelyn."

I looked up.

Marcus whispered something so quietly only I could hear.

"You look exactly like her."

"What?"

His hands trembled.

"The lost princess."

My heart stopped.

"What are you talking about?"

Marcus stared at the birthmark.

"The North Kingdom."

"The royal family."

"The missing child."

Before I could ask another question, he stepped back.

Like he'd said too much.

Like he was suddenly afraid.

And across the room—

For the first time all night—

I saw fear flash across Bella's face.